The Estuary bridge which is still awaited

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34125, 10 April 1976, Page 11

The Estuary bridge which is still awaited

A leg-pull picture of some 70 years ago. “Inmates of the Old Men’s Home, New Brighton, 1904-05.” These young men were following the fashion of those days, leaving their office desks at Christmas and “roughing it” at New Brighton. The man sitting on the chair on the left is Arthur Stewart. The man sitting on the right is his brother, James Mawson Stewart. These two were prominent in the scheme to have a bridge built across the Estuary.

RICHARD GREENAWAY has interviewed old residents, consulted minute books of the former New Brighton Borough Council, and referred to records of the Lands and Survey Department on Reserve 224 (the Naval Spit) to write this article about an early plan to bridge the Estuary near Shag Rock.

A bridge across the Estuary from the suburb of Southshore to Shag Rock is one of the older dreams of people in Christchurch. But major problems have always been associated with such an idea. The principal difficulty is cost; and the has never been, after all, a clear need for the bridge. The idea of erecting such a bridge dates back at least to the 1880 s. In the latter part of that decade Carl Bunz, a notable figure in musical circles at that time, had a holiday place at South Brighton; and, “anticipating the connection of New Brighton and Sumner,” laid it out as gardens. But Mr Bunz was to be disappointed. In 1897, 10 years after the musician had bought his property, the Sumner Borough Council wrote to the newly formed New

Brighton Borough Council suggesting the bridge, but New Brighton gave the idea a cool reception. It was not till about 1912 that a serious attempt was made to set in motion the steps which were needed if the great structure was to be built. Those responsible for the plan belonged to two speculative organisations, the South New Brighton Land Company and the Southshore Syndicate. The former body was made up of a host of small shareholders; the latter consisted mainly of substantial businessmen. The two companies bought what is now the suburb of Southshore. This area had been used by the New Brighton Tramway Company as an area where their horses might be exercised and, later, had come into the possession of a farmer called Moore who grazed a mob of sheep there. At the southern end of the plot of land was the Naval Spit. — a bleak sandy public domain

which had been set aside for a lighthouse in 1862. it. being thought that there might one day be a port on the Estuary. For a time it seemed that all was proceeding satisfactorily. Land was sold, t:.e price being quite low because the area was at that time isolated and without amenities. But it was stipulated that every purchaser should give £l5 towards the cost of the bridge; and, in this way, £7OO was collected. Plans for the bridge were drawn up by Cyrus Williams, the Lyttelton Harbour Board engineer. Then the advent of World War I was a major setback. A number of those most involved in the project went off to the war. Building costs jumped, and soon the £7OO appeared a scant sum even as a starting point. Still, during the war a few enthusiasts, kept the plan alive. Several houses were built — to become prey, however, to the at-

tention of vanda’s A further problem was encountered in the person of one Richard Cargeeg, a prominent insurance executive who owned the “Pendeen” property just to the north of the Southshore subdivision. Cargeeg’s land stretched from the beach to the Estuary, thus denying the intending bridge builders easy access to their grounds. At one time the Southshore Syndicate attempted to have part of “Pendeen” taken under the provisions of the Public Works Act, but without success. Eventually Cargeeg agreed to sell, and tracks were put through to Southshore. What was to become Rockinghorse Road was hacked out of the wilderness, but it was not until about 1950 that rates were expended in the forming and metalling of this route. But after World War I the speculators still had to worry about their in-

vestment. Both the land company and the syndicate had to be wound up. the money collected for bridge building was returned to the contributors. Some of the former shareholders continued to hope that the bridge might be erected. In 1927, one of these, James Mawson Stewart, of the firm of Stewart. Beckett and Co., chartered accountants. attempted to persuade the Government, that the work should be done at public expense. Mawson Stewart was one of the few optimists. Others lamented the fact that they had to pay rates while enjoying no amenities. One disillusioned ratepayer wrote to the New Brighton Borough Council: “Cheque herewith for N2 ■ 2- Od for enclosed rates. In regard to these rates. I understand the section is somewhere in the

sandhills to the south of the settlement, but v.hen I have been to Christchurch, I have never been able to rind it. As far as I know there are no roads near it. no lighting except by the moon and the stars, no library within 10 miles, nor hospital. It is hard to know why we pay rates. Can you tefl me why this money is charged against this unfortunate bleak barren bit of sandhill. And do you know whether anyone ever buys land about this direction and how it might be got rid of?” Thus the Estuary bridge passed from the scene. From time to time the idea has been revived by politicians and others, but not to prosper. Tn the meantime what has developed is the affluent suburb on Rockinghorse Road.